Last September's adoption day. (source: Courtesy of Staré Mesto)
THE OLD TOWN district of Bratislava organises an event several times a year called Find Yourself (Nájdite sa) that is not meant for one to explore his or her soul or to test one’s orienteering skills but rather to match animals living in rescue centres and shelters with new owners.
The event is held at the Gamekeeper’s Lodge in Bratislava’s Horský Park and is held three times a year in the warmer seasons. After a successful match-making event last September where 27 people adopted a dog or cat, the next opportunity for people to find a perfect pet will be held on Sunday, April 1.
“When I once longed to have a dog rather than piano lessons and went on walks with my imaginary dog, I never dreamt of becoming the ‘Ambassador of Abandoned Animals’,” actress Kristína Farkašová told the TASR newswire, adding that “this is my first honorary function”. She currently owns a female dog called Pompi that had been abused before she adopted it and recommends that others follow her lead and adopt animals from shelters.
Pompi has her own profile on a social network and wrote that all the animals in shelters should show their best and not be shy on April 1. Pompi added that her animal friends can “find out on the spot whether your smells are compatible; you can take a walk and see if you find common topics”.
The Old Town council and mayor Tatiana Rosová are the organisers of the event and the Old Town spokesman, Tomáš Halán, told TASR that Farkašová was nominated to be patron of the day to follow personalities such as Lucia Hablovičová, Hana Gallová, Erika Judínyová, Juraj Slezáček, Eňa Vacvalová and outgoing Prime Minister Iveta Radičová, who have all co-hosted the day in the past or even adopted an animal.
Animal shelters from Bratislava and from neighbouring areas normally take part in the event but on April 1 more than 20 animal rescue organisations will participate, including ones from as far away as Košice, Žilina, Fiľakovo and Šaštín. The programme in Horský Park will also include various competitions to demonstrate the skills of dogs. More information is available at www.najditesa.sk.
